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William Loeffler

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William Loeffler is a playwright and journalist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He worked 15 years writing features for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He has also written travel stories based on his trips to all seven continents. He and his wife, Michelle, ran the Boston Marathon in 2009.

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(651) 319-4501

(412) 781-1904

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For the record, it wasn't blue paint that volunteers Wade Luhman and Jodi Witte rolled and dabbed on the walls of a classroom at Park High School — it was Sea Sprite. Down the hall, others workers from PPG, Andersen Corporation and the South Washington County School District were busy transforming a classroom in shades of Lullaby Blue and Cajun Spice. "A lot of science goes into color," PPG manager Bernie Ackerman said during the June 20 gathering. "How it affects the brain, how it is received by the eye."

The pickings were slim, but Sarah Fournier of Woodbury still found some greens to purchase at the June 21 opening of the Cottage Grove Farmers Market. The weekly market opened late this year due to a wintry spring. Some growers are still playing catch-up, market manager Kim Heilmann said, but she said she expects the number of produce vendors at the market to increase in coming weeks.

COTTAGE GROVE — It's a measure of the life lived by Steven Duane Cozad that his unexpected death affected so many. Cozad, 48, of Cottage Grove died June 20 after he was found unresponsive at his home, Newport Fire Chief Steve Wiley said. Cozad served with Wiley on the Newport Fire Department for over 20 years. Cozad's family lost a husband, provider, father and grandfather. The Newport Fire Department lost a capable and courageous comrade. Needy children and families from Newport to Kenya lost a benefactor and advocate.

COTTAGE GROVE - About 85 runners and walkers got their first look at the renovated Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park during the June 24 Run the Ravine 5K. The race capped a weekend of events that included a craft party Friday and goat yoga sessions Saturday. The festivities also included a kids' fun run.

Workers install artificial turf at the playground at Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park. The park reopened to the public June 19 after a more than a year of extensive renovations. Several grand opening events are scheduled for this weekend, including goat yoga and a 5K race. Motorists should use the new park entrance off Keats Avenue in south Cottage Grove. For more info, visit the Washington County website at www.co.washington.mn.us . Submitted photo courtesy of Washington County

The operation was a success, but the patient died. The Park High School Indian head emblem, embedded for more than half a century on the floor of the east part of the main hallway near the school gym, did not survive its removal, according to a District 833 spokesperson. In a statement, Shelley Schafer, director of communications and public relations, said that they met with four separate contractors in March. None could guarantee they could remove the head in one piece, she said.

COTTAGE GROVE - Most of the year, they're your friends, classmates or neighbors. But on June 14, about a dozen Cottage Grove residents assumed the guise of performing artists at the Strawberry Fest talent show. Guitarists, singers and yes, a ukulele player all took their turn on the main stage at Kingston Park. Park High School graduate Cassie Klinga took two firsts, winning both the Strawberry Fest Talent Show and the Minnesota Sings competitions. "I just like singing a lot," she said.

COTTAGE GROVE - The rain stayed away June 14 for the opening of the Strawberry Fest, where Austin Werner, 7 bounced skyward on one of the carnival rides. Austin came out to Kingston Park with his mother, Tracy, his aunt Janelle Hart and his 11-month old cousin, Waverly. Alas, storms pounded the region Saturday, forcing the cancellation of the 5K and 10K races and delaying the Strawberry Fest parade for at least 45 minutes. Cottage Grove Mayor Myron Bailey said he chose to walk the parade route, rather than ride in a convertible that would eventully turn into a bathtub.

COTTAGE GROVE - For Harold Scott Jr., middle school was a crossroads where you could focus on your studies — easier said than done — or go off the rails. Scott, of Cottage Grove, has made it his life's work to serve as a lighthouse keeper for subsequent generations of middle school kids. He reports to work next month as the new principal of Cottage Grove Middle School.